U.S. stock futures are lower as the dollar rallies on the likelihood of higher interest rates in the U.S. next month; Volkswagen confirms it will eliminate 30,000 jobs.

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Here are five things you must know for Friday, Nov. 18:

1. -- U.S. stock futures were lower and European shares declined as the dollar rallied on the likelihood that interest rates in the U.S. would be raised in December.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, in remarks to Congress on Thursday, told lawmakers that an interest rate hike could come "relatively soon." Yellen noted that the labor market continued to show strength and that the economy appeared to have recovered from a sluggish start to the year. Yellen also repeated the stance that the current state of the economy will likely "warrant only gradual increases in the federal funds rate over time" and noted that a delay could impact financial stability.

The dollar rallied on the prospect of higher U.S. interest rates. The currency climbed to as high as 110.92 yen -- the highest level since last May -- from 110.17 yen in late trading Thursday. The dollar was currently trading at 110.22 yen.

The economic calendar in the U.S. on Friday includes Leading Indicators for October at 10 a.m. EST and the Baker-Hughes Rig Count for the week ended Nov. 18, at 1 p.m.

Kansas City Fed President Esther George is scheduled to give a speech at an oil conference in Houston at 9:30 a.m., while New York Fed President William Dudley will give opening remarks at the Economic Press Meeting on Survey of Consumer Expectations in New York at 9:35 a.m.

2. -- Volkswagen (VLKAY) said Friday it would eliminate 30,000 jobs as part of a €3.7 billion brand overhaul that will attempt to draw a line under its global emissions scandal and kick-start sales growth as the automaker invests more in electric vehicles and digital services.

CEO Matthais Mueller confirmed the moves at a hastily arranged press event at VW's headquarters in Wolfsburg as the company struggles to overcome its year-old emissions scandal that many fear has permanently damaged the reputation of one of corporate Germany's strongest brands and cost the company at least €18 billion in fines and replacement costs.

"We are going to cut about 30,000 jobs, out of which 23,000 jobs will be in Germany. However, our employees in Germany will need not worry ... there will be no compulsory redundancies, the reductions will be assured by attrition and phased early retirement," Matthais said. "I am very sorry for the people who are affected by that, but the situation of our brand currently leaves us with very little room for maneuver at the moment."

VW shares rose less than 1% in Frankfurt early Friday.

3. -- President-elect Donald Trump announced on Twitter Thursday night that Ford (F) won't be moving Lincoln production to Mexico from Kentucky.

Bill Ford, the company's executive chairman, telephoned him with the news that a Lincoln plant would stay in Louisville, Trump said in the tweet claiming credit for the decision.

Ford doesn't have a plant that exclusively builds Lincolns, but it had planned to move production of the Lincoln MKC small SUV out of the Louisville Assembly Plant so it could make more Ford Escapes there. A company spokeswoman confirmed Thursday with the Associated Press that Ford was considering MKC production at a factory in Cuautitlan, Mexico. The move was negotiated with the United Auto Workers union in 2015.

Ford spokeswoman Christin Baker told the AP she didn't know when the decision was made to keep the MKC in Louisville or if Trump had any impact on it.